a hand a size larger is really as distressing to the observer as to the wearer-and that is saying enough. In the other direction, a loose, wrinkled glove is uncomfortable and essentially untidy. The happy mean of a perfect fit cannot be difficult to secure in these days of endless variety, and apart from its pleasing appearance, such a glove will give longer and more satisfactory wear, making it a matter of economy as well as of becomingness. In color, the gloves should be always appropriate for the use or occasion, and in harmony with the wearer's general costume. They must also be kept neat. Soiled gloves are a vexation; those through holes in which the wearer's fingers peep forth, as though upon mischief intent, are an abomination. Better no glove than one which is ragged or otherwise unsightly. Then, the gloves and the general dress should be in harmony. A neglige costume, if it permitted gloving at all, would be sadly marred by contrast with a fine pair of kids; and on the other hand a fine costume would suffer equally with incongruous gloves. For those who need the suggestion, it may be well to say that the care of gloves adds greatly to their average life; the want of care has the same effect there that it has elsewhere in the economic worldwaste and vexation. In putting on gloves, it has been suggested that the second button should be first secured; then, when the glove has been buttoned to the top, the first button can be readily brought into its buttonhole without danger of tearing the kid. In removing gloves, the 'fingers are never to be pulled; the part covering the wrist should be drawn down over the hand and the glove gently turned off the fingers. This leaves the gloves wrong side out, and they should be allowed to remain so for some time. Then they are turned and laid away straight and smooth; they are not to be folded or wrinkled if their best condition is to be preserved. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. -Mrs. Arthur Stanley. FEATHER CAKE. One egg, one tablespoonful of butter, one cupful of powdered sugar, one cupful of milk, two and a third cupfuls of flour, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder; flavor with vanilla. Cream the butter and sugar, add the yolk, next the white, beaten to a stiff froth. Putting the white next, as in sponge cake, makes a finer light. Add the milk and flour gradually; the baking powder last. This recipe, which had originally only two cupfuls of flour, has been changed by adding a third of a cupful, which makes it of the right consistency. This makes a delicious luncheon cake, to be eaten while hot, and has frequently been taken for a cake containing a great deal more butter, which it resembles in flavor but is more feathery in texture. It may be used for dessert with a liquid or rubbed sauce of butter and sugar, in which a tablespoonful of preserved strawberries have been mashed, imparting a delicious flavor. -A. D. A. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. A TOILET NOTES. N old proverb tells us that "Beauty is but skin deep," and, while classical features are very desirable, a rough or muddy skin will detract greatly from their charms, and many women who are called beautiful owe their reputation almost entirely to a clear complexion. Internal derangements soon make themselves known through the skin, and for this reason care air. After a fatiguing afternoon's shopping, the best should be taken regarding diet, exercise and pure thing to do is to bathe the face and eyes in water that is as warm as can be borne comfortably. A hot foot bath taken the last thing before retiring, soothes the nerves and induces quiet, restful sleep. If the skin has become red and chapped by exposure to the cold wind, a lotion prepared according to the following recipe will be found excellent: Put seven grains of spermaceti and fifteen grains of white wax in a dish and melt slowly. Blanch three ounces of bitter almonds and one ounce of sweet almonds: in water, dry quickly and beat into a paste with half a dram of finely powdered soap. Then add seven ounces of distilled water, three drops of attar of roses, one-half dram of oil of almonds, and three ounces of alcohol. Stir all the ingredients together and it is ready to use. It will protect the skin and keep it smooth and white. Many delicate skins are ruined by rough handling with coarse towels, hard water and strong soap. This is especially true in large towns, where the dust and dirt clog the pores, and harsh treatment is often resorted to to remove it. But while a thorough washing twice a day is necessary, it may be done in such a way as to be beneficial instead of harmful. Use warm soft water and enough ivory soap to remove the dirt. Wash gently, rinse in water of the same temperature, then dry with a soft towel. The lotion already described may be rubbed on the face at night with beneficial results. Allow it to remain a few minutes, then wipe the face dry with an old silk handkerchief. If you suffer from constipation, which is a very common cause of a muddy complexion, take a small liver pill or dose of rhubarb after each mid-day meal, and you will notice an improvement in a few weeks. Confine yourself to those articles of diet which are simple and nutritious, abstaining from rich puddings, pies and cakes. All kinds of fruits are healthful and easily digested. - Western Housekeeper. Compiled for GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. HARD TO FIND. A woman who attends to the ordering of her own household as she would have others order theirs. Those who keep the Ten Commandments, without wishing that one or two of them might be safely broken. Those who love their neighbors as themselves without measuring the relative positions of love by different measurements. An unpretentious edifice, with shapely modest spire, Where on the holy Sabbath day true worshipers draw nigh, The bell in tower telling the hour of meeting-time, For new strength and courage hoping; for purpose pure and strong. Where prayers go up to God on high, from the bottom of the heart, Illustration by courtesy of the publishers of "The Spinning Wheel at Rest" Edward A. Jenks, Concord, N. H. Where the dust of loved and lost ones are looked on for the last, With the body in neat raiment, the eye of man to please, For the blessings ever promised to the narrow path and straight. Where processions pass in formal flow, up and down the aisle, Of all the houses that have had foundation on the earth, The Home, where sweet affection and tenderness have birth, And becomes the justly longed-for and struggled-for bright goal. The next in order, to be built upon life's wave-worn rocks, For protection from earthly storms and their many shades and shocks Have been mercifully tempered is within The House of God. Houses of public trade and commerce and of treacherous finance, But aside from money changers, who in sacred seats sell doves, black M. Bayan Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. THE WATER-DROP'S DISCOVERY. "Come along! come along!" nagged a little water-drop, From her dreary cloud-land, up so very high. "Hark! the buds are sighing! hear the children cryingThirsting for fresh water on the earth so dry." "Come along! come along! don't you know your duty? What's the use to tarry any longer in the sky! Shame to let the flowerets and the little children, Thirst for want of water-and oh, perhaps to die!" Soon she ceased her scolding, as still her neighbors lingered, And with a merry somersault she tumbled from the sky. Then in glee a chasing, ne'er was seen such racing, . As with dancing and with prancing the others jostled by. Bravo, little water-drop! glad you've learned the lesson, 'Tis nicer not to nag and fret, even in the sky. Now teach it to the dozens of your little earth-land cousins, There's a better way than scolding-they'll find it if they try! -Adelbert F. Caldwell. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. HOUSEHOLD LINEN. INE linen damask, it has been said, appeals as strongly to the average feminine fancy as does a rich velvet or brocade. The one is used for personal adornment; the other for the decorating and beautifying of the home. "The thrifty housekeeper feels a pardonable pride in her well filled linen presses, and bestows a goodly amount of care upon their contents, being well aware that linens require frequent and intelligent attention." It is to be understood that we are speaking now of linens proper, as employed for table use, napery, towelings, and the like. Thank fortune, the fashion of using linen for bedding, or for underwear of any kind, has pretty much disappeared, and in the few instances where it is still retained, the retention is due to a mistaken reverence for the old-time customs which has no just title to a survival. In the words of a discriminating author, writing upon this subject: "The truth about linen is that it isn't the ideal dressing for beds at all. It is cold and slippery and insures sensitive persons the dream of sleeping on an iceberg, which does well enough for an occasional experience, like seasickness, but which palls on too frequent repetition. Besides that, it wrinkles and tumbles, in spite of its heavier body, much more than cotton does, giving a bed, after one night's use, a most slovenly and uninviting appearance." But for table service, for the toilet, and for minor ornamental details, it is simply invaluable; its smoothness of texture, its brilliancy, which laundering even increases, its exquisite freshness, make it the one fabric fit to drape the dining table and to use in the toilet, while its suitability for needlework decoration makes it admirable for all kinds of fancywork. In making purchases of tablecloths and napkins, especially, it is always true economy to get a good quality. And apart from the fact of longer wear, the satisfaction of the fine appearance of a really nice article must count for something. Nowhere is the contrast between cheapness and excellence more marked or more certain to obtrude itself. In buying towels, there are two considerations which should be duly weighed. The large towels are perhaps the more economical, in so far as first cost of a given amount of material is concerned, and there will be a smaller number of pieces in the weekly wash. But on the other hand, it may be easier to do three small towels than one which is large and heavy; while the use and frequent change which the smaller specimens require gives an increased air of tidiness. In too many cases, it must be admitted, a large towel is used long after its tidiness has disappeared, because may it be said!-it has still some unsoiled portions! After the linen has been purchased and put into wear, much of its durability and appearance depends upon the treatment it receives. Table linen should not be put into soapsuds until all of the stains have been removed. This, contrary to the common impression, can be very easily done. Boiling water poured through the fabric will remove all stains except that from iron rust. For this, wet the spot with cold water, sprinkle on oxalic acid, and rub between the hands. If one application does not suffice, repeat the process. Be very careful of the acid, however, as it is a rank poison. Under any ordinary circumstances, table linen will require but little rubbing, and it should be gently wrung by hand. A wringer not only makes creases which are hard to remove with the iron, but adds the danger of breaking or injuring the fabric, and thus materially shortening the life of the article. On the same grounds, caution should be taken not to allow tablecloths to hang on the line in a strong wind. The hems and corners will be pretty certain to suffer, and there are no more potent sources of destruction for articles of this class, of heavy weight and soft fabric. When signs of wear begin to appear, the proverbial "stitch in time" should be employed. The very best way to make the repairs which will then be needed is to take threads of the same linen, which could easily have been provided for by saving the trimmings when the cloth was made up, and darn deftly along the texture. In this way the article can be made to appear almost equal to new, and the labor or skill required to mend in this way is no greater than to "patch and darn down," the effect of which must always be unpleasant. The matter of toweling is an important one, and the careful housewife will see to it that her linen Original in GOOD HOUSEKEeping. THE OLD BRICK HOUSE. closet includes a good assortment for the pantry, for the glassware, and for the general kitchen. It is too often erroneously supposed that anything in the way of stray and worn material is good enough for these uses. This is not the case; it "pays," in satisfaction, in convenience, and in perfection of work, to have the good and reliable article, provided in ample abundance for all ordinary demands. In toweling, it is not the beauty of design, the brilliancy of finish, or the richness of damask which are to be taken into account. Rather it is the quality of the article for the work it will be required to do which is the determining factor. Huckaback towels, Irish made, are durable, soft, and absorbing; the finer qualities have no superiors in these respects. Crash towels have good absorbing qualities, and for friction. there is nothing better on the market. The Turkish towels are also very excellent for the bath, having certain qualities peculiar to themselves, and from these three varieties the best equipment for the toilet will be obtained. They may be large or small, plain or ornamented, rich or inexpensive, according to tastes and circumstances, but they should always be supplied for the home in generous measure, while the guest chamber should be provided with such an assortment that any reasonable taste of the guest will be anticipated. And in this matter of guests, it should be borne in mind that nothing is of more importance than complete toilet facilities, since one's friend often comes weary, dusty and exhausted from long and taxing travel. For the material comfort, nothing is more invigorating under such circumstances than the bath, and the provision which is made in this direction may well be accepted as the true measure of the visitor's welcome. -Mrs. Martha Bradford Cooke. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. TRY, TRY AGAIN. 586. For a cough, one ounce of flaxseed boiled in one pint of water, strained and added to one ounce of rock candy, strained honey and the juice of three lemons. 587. Putting a sprained limb immediately in hot water, and adding more, as it can be borne, for twenty minutes. If necessary, try using silicate of sodium dressing. I Full of Memories of Childhood and Youth. TOLD you, did I not, of the old garden so full of memories of our childhood and youth-but did I tell you of the old house that was within the garden? As I remember it now, it was exceedingly plain; just a long brick house painted red, with heavy green wooden shutters at the windows. Not in the least beautiful nor ornate was the old house, but to our childish eyes it represented all that was desirable in architecture. There was a little square "portico" in front; it was painted white, and between its posts hung several wire baskets. These baskets were lined with moss so deep that the wire was quite hidden. The space left was filled with loose rich earth, and in this was planted a vine one does not often see nowadays. Our grandmother called it myrtle, and I remember how bright and glossy its leaves were, and how the bright yellow blossoms opened on the stem between them. But it is the interior of the old house that I especially love to recall. I can see, as though it were but yesterday, how the long hall that ran the entire length of the house appeared to us, as we stepped within the door-such a heavy door as it was for little hands to move. Sometimes we did not even try to open it, but instead pounded upon it with the heavy iron knocker, that represented a fierce looking lion, holding in his mouth the great iron ring by which we knocked. On either side of the door was a row of tiny panes of glass, and back of these panes scarlet glazed muslin was neatly tacked. We considered the red light made by the sun shining through this muslin wonderful. We had never even heard of stained glass. As I said before the hall was long, with the staircase with its heavy oak banister on one side. The walls of this hall were covered with a paper, representing among other things, a lackadaisical looking shepherdess, leading a flock of discouraged looking sheep over an impassable mountain. We children never questioned the artistic merit of this, nor any other scene depicted on the walls of this old hall, but found them every day a source of unfailing pleasure. At each end of the hall was a door, and midway between the two doors stood the old-fashioned "settee," as our grandmother called it. It was covered with bright, large figured chintz, and nowhere, except in the old garden itself, did such wonderful flowers flourish as on the cover of this old couch. I am afraid the curtain or valance, as it is now called, that concealed the clumsy legs of this primitive piece of furniture was conducive to careless or untidy habits, for I remember how often we would push our toys, hats or shoes under it, instead of putting them properly away. This lack of order, however, did not annoy our grandmother in the least, for with her, what "the children" did was nearly -Ruth Hall. always right. 588. For a bruise, a dampened bag of salt. 589. For nervousness, skullcap herb tea. 590. Taking cod liver oil in tomato catchup. 591. For rheumatism, a sulphur bath (one-fourth of a pound to twenty gallons). 592. For a cold, hot lemonade on going to bed. 593. A goblet of hot water, at each meal, for dyspepsia. 594. A juicy apple each morning before breakfast. Try again next month. |